Mentoring Encompasses an Effective Method

¶ … mentoring encompasses an effective method of giving junior personnel the chance to learn from more experienced members of staff. Therefore, mentoring has been considered a way of transferring experience. The employee at his turn learns from the mentor through observation, discussion, and by listening to his advice (Winkler, 2002, p. 275). Recent research is concerned with the learning process that occurs in mentoring (Lankau, 1996, cited in Scandura and Hamilton, 2002), mentoring in team context (Dansky, 1996;Williams, 2000, cited in Scandura and Hamilton, 2002), the redefinition of mentoring from a one-on-one relationship to networks of mentors (Higgins & Kram, 1999; Ibarra, 1994). The great interest in mentoring has at its roots the perception of the concept as an organizational training and development tool (Hunt&Michael, 1983, cited in Scandura and Hamilton, 2002). This is one of the reasons why interest in mentoring research has continually expanded in the last two decades.

The traditional definition of a mentor focused on a one-to-one relationship in which the mentor is very influential individual who possesses a large body of knowledge and is committed in offering support to the career of a protege in an organizational setting (Levinson, Darrow, Klein, Levinson, & McKee, 1978, cited in Scandura and Hamilton, 2002). The components emphasized in such a relationship are emotional involvement (Kram, 1985; Roche, 1979, cited in Scandura and Hamilton, 2002), and the supportive and trusting collaboration.

Scandura and Hamilton (2002, p.295) acknowledged that mentoring has been identified to provide two broad classes of functions: Career development and psychosocial support. For the purpose of this paper it would appear to be more important to stress on the function of mentoring for career development.

Mentoring is an important factor in career development by providing vocational support in the form of coaching, advice, visibility for the protege. The mentor has therefore the basic role to counsel the protege how to pursue or develop his/her career. Another form in which the mentor may influence the protege's career is by nominating him or her for promotion. The main factors that impact further the performance and growth in competence of the protege are exposure and visibility, manifested in the contact and interaction with key players in the organization. The mentor may act as a protector in that he tries to minimize protege's involvement in situations that may be political or controversial. Moreover, he is in the position to provide technical support and advice on specific skill development; the advice may be either task-related or focus on interpersonal skills.

When there is a relationship between mentoring and succession planning the chance of forming even more competent and fit individuals are even greater. Succession planning refers mainly to the process of recruitment of employees, of skills and abilities development. Processes established in succession planning also prepares employees for advancement by using training, mentoring or other forms of instruction (Fridenstine, 2006). Basically, succession planning refers to timely consideration of future vacancies inside the organization especially on managerial positions, no matter the reason of the replacement needs: retirement, transition, tragedy or trial and error. When considering succession planning it is important to understand the organization's long-term goals and objectives, to identify the workforce's developmental needs and to be able to determine workforce trends and predictions.( Fridenstine, 2006)

As Jan Margolis stated (2005), good succession planning does not involve just a backup plan for successors, it is more than that. It is a tool used by companies to both fill gaps as business needs change and, most importantly, grow their own leaders. At this point it appears obvious where succession planning integrates mentoring. It is in the process of leader formation that mentoring interferes.

Many researchers and theorists have acknowledged that often organizations fail to utilize managerial personnel effectively for leadership development and succession planning systems (Groves, 2007) and many execute these critical practices through separate human resource functions that shift the responsibility for leadership development away from line managers.

Integrating leadership development and succession planning best practices

Author(s): Kevin S. Groves

Journal: Journal of Management Development

ISSN: 0262-1711

Year: 2007 Volume: 26 Issue: 3-Page: 239-260

DOI: 10.1108/02621710710732146

Publisher: Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Abstract: Purpose -- Organizations often fail to utilize managerial personnel effectively for leadership development and succession planning systems, and many execute these critical practices through separate human resource functions that shift the responsibility for leadership development away from line managers. The purpose of this article is to present a best practices model for optimal development of the leadership pipeline and a series of practical recommendations for organizations.

Design/methodology/approach -- a group of 30 CEOs and human resource executives across 15 best practice organizations were asked via semi-structured interviews to describe the content and delivery of their respective organizations' leadership development and succession planning practices.

Findings -- Analysis of interview data indicated that best practice organizations effectively integrate leadership development and succession planning systems by fully utilizing managerial personnel in developing the organization's mentor network, identifying and codifying high potential employees, developing high potentials via project-based learning experiences and manager-facilitated workshops, establishing a flexible and fluid succession planning process, creating organization-wide forums for exposing high potential employees to multiple stakeholders, and establishing a supportive organizational culture.